According to the Taiwanese supply chain journal DigiTimes, a new Apple Watch Ultra with a microLED display will be released in 2024 or 2025. According to the article, Apple intends to eventually integrate the technology into its MacBook, iPhone, and iPad models.
The research affirms that since purchasing California-based LuxVue in 2014, Apple has created microLED technology. Since producing microLED displays is still difficult and expensive, Apple will introduce the technology in the Apple Watch Ultra before moving on to larger devices.
Ams OSRAM, a European business, will be Apple’s main source of microLED chips. Nonetheless, the analysis indicates that by 2026–2027, Taiwanese companies like Epistar could supply additional microLED chips.
Several individuals, such as the CEO of Display Supply Chain Consultants Ross Young, the reporter for Bloomberg Mark Gurman, and the analyst for Haitong International Securities Jeff Pu, have all expressed their belief that Apple is working on a new Apple Watch Ultra that will feature a microLED display. Gurman said that the switch to micro LEDs may start as early as the end of 2024, but he also warned that the timeline could extend into 2025. Additionally, Young provided a timeline for 2025, which indicates that the technology may still be at least two years away.
Compared to current Apple Watch models with OLED displays, Pu predicted that the upcoming Apple Watch Ultra would have a larger 2.1-inch display and a brighter display thanks to microLED technology. The Ultra’s display size right now is about 1.9 inches.
Apple is still working on completing the drawn-out shift from LCD to OLED display technology. Since its 2015 release, the Apple Watch has utilized OLED, and starting in 2017, and the iPhone models gradually made the switch as well. According to rumors, the first MacBook and iPad Pro versions with OLED panels will be available in 2024.
